Highlights
From the Migration TrailIf
a person could have predicted the best time and place to witness monarch
migration, Tuesday, October 11th would have been the time and Texas would
have been the place. Monarchs were "streaming south" and "sailing
on northeast breezes." There were "hundreds, if not thousands"
and they were "anywhere, anytime we looked up!" High-flying butterflies
were "floating past windows" in downtown Dallas on Tuesday in
such numbers that the town took notice. Reports arrived suddenly from people
perched in tall buildings around the city:

"Lots
flying by the 54th floor window of Renaissances Tower going south down
Elm Street."

"I'm
seeing a Monarch fly by my office window on the 43rd floor of Republic
Center in Dallas every 2 or 3 minutes. Fascinating!"

"I
am on the 33rd floor in a Downtown Dallas office building. For the past
45 minutes or so, I have seen approximately 100-150 Monarchs floating
by!"

"My
office in downtown Dallas is on the 26th floor. I have seen numerous
butterflies at my elevation and higher moving southward."

Thousands
were passing near the U.S./Mexico border, in Eagle Pass, Texas, as Carol
Cullar watched: "At any one segment of the sky there would be too
many to count. It stretched as far as we could see across a 1.5 mile runway.
With 100s visible at any one moment. I don't know how high into the sky
they went."

Only a few miles away, also near the U.S. border with Mexico. "The
entire desert was covered with an undulating blanket of sparkling monarchs
flowing ever south. At any moment there were probably hundreds in my field
of vision, and they must have been coming through by the tens of thousands.
We sat and watched in awe."

"Monarchs
began moving through in good numbers late Friday in conjunction with a
cold front that blew through," explained Dallas butterfly expert
Dale Clark. "Things have been streaming by here since last Friday
evening...I counted over 250 in my own yard!" he added.

How
High Do Monarchs Fly During Fall Migration?
Do monarchs fly as high as the clouds? Do they fly higher than the naked
eye can see? Dr. Calvert responds and suggests an experiment to answer those
questions. The highest monarch ever observed was seen by a glider pilot
at 11,000 feet!

Up and
Away: How High Do Butterflies Fly?
Do migrating monarchs fly higher than the Statue of Liberty or the world's
tallest tree? Do they fly higher than hot air balloons, gliders or passenger
jets? To put monarch flight-height into perspective, we have listed the
height of various familiar things. Make a model on a high wall, from earth
to sky.

How
to Report Your Observations
Put your monarch news on the map! Please send reports of monarchs flying,
feeding, and resting. When you report your observations, include wind speed
and direction. For instructions see: